


Echoes

by Tenshinrtaiga



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-06-06 22:43:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6773278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenshinrtaiga/pseuds/Tenshinrtaiga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s 2204 and Stefan’s ripping his way through Atlanta. He meets Klaus but isn’t sure why the hybrid feels so familiar to him or what that niggling feeling is that tells him he’s forgetting something important. Either way Stefan knows he’s in too deep. Sure they’re friends, but are they more? And what happens when a hunter gets on their tail? Klaus might have to run, but will Stefan go with him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Serial Killer Big Bang. Special thanks to my beta swirlsofblue and my artist evian_fork.

[ ](http://tenshinrtaiga.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/435/53157)

 

Atlanta  
June 2204

Stefan chuckled as the girl he was with shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and ducked her head in embarrassment. “Come on,” he grinned, standing up from his seat and offering his hand to her. “Let’s get out of here.”

The girl smiled sweetly as she gently slipped her hand into his, and allowed him to lead her out of the dark jazz club and out into the busy Atlanta streets. They’d barely made it a block before he pushed her into a dark alley, away from all the lights and people.

“What are you doing?” the girl cried out in shock.

Stefan said nothing, but gave a predatory smile before quickly lunging for her throat. He vaguely heard her try to scream near his ear, but all she could get out were gurgles. He had torn out her throat in his haste to feed and that included her vocal cords. She was choking on her own blood.

Stefan growled as he drank from her neck deeper. He could feel the veins around his eyes darken as he gripped her arms tighter and tighter until they ripped from the girl’s body. At the same time as this, his feeding itself got too vicious and her neck tore, detaching the girl’s head.

“Someone’s hungry,” an accented voice said from behind him, causing Stefan to stiffen in surprise. At over three hundred, it had been a while since someone had been able to sneak up on him. Stefan cautiously turned around to face a smirking vampire. He had full lips, blue eyes and dark golden hair. There was something about him that made Stefan pause. It was almost as if Stefan recognized him, but couldn’t quite place it; like it was on the tip of his tongue. “Hello, Ripper.”

“Do I know you?” Stefan asked.

The man chuckled in amusement. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Do you?” Before Stefan could answer, the blond had moved so that he was standing in front of him. Stefan couldn’t even keep track of him, he moved so fast. For a moment, Stefan worried about how old this vampire really was. “I’m Klaus,” the man introduced. “Buy you a drink?” he asked as he swung a friendly arm around Stefan’s shoulders and led him out of the alley and back toward the jazz club.

Stefan started in surprise although if that was in recognition of the name or the arm wrapped around him, Klaus wasn’t sure. Still, Stefan allowed himself to be led, not fighting back or causing a stir. They entered the club and headed straight for the bar. A scotch was immediately placed in front of Stefan causing Klaus to laugh. “You come here often?” he joked as he ordered his own drink.

“What do you want?” Stefan asked instead. Their interaction so far had made no sense, and the curiosity was killing him.

“What makes you think I want something?” Klaus asked instead, taking a sip of his own scotch.

“You expect me to believe that you stumbled on me feeding and randomly decided to have a drink with me?” Stefan asked with an incredulous eye brow.

“Maybe I find you interesting,” Klaus returned. “It’s been a while since I’ve met a ripper,” he mused aloud. “Not since Chicago.”

Once again, something niggled in the back of Stefan’s mind like he was supposed to know or remember something. But nothing came to mind. “So, what? You’re just going to stalk me now?”

Klaus chuckled. “How about we start with a hunt. We can work up to stalking.”

~~~

“I still don’t understand what you want from me,” Stefan admitted two days later. They had gone on a hunt that night that had never really stopped. Even now, they were covered in blood and surrounded by dead bodies and Stefan couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Don’t you?” Klaus asked idly as if Stefan already knew the answer and was just being stubborn by not admitting it. Either way, Klaus wasn’t going to be giving out any answers. Not tonight at least.

Stefan gave a sigh before standing up.

“Where are _you_ going?” Klaus asked, a hint of danger in his eye.

Stefan merely raised a disinterested eyebrow. “Clearly I’m not going to be getting answers, so I’m going home.” He looked down at his blood stained shirt. “My clothes are beginning to harden anyway.” He turned on his heel and stepped over the limb of yet another victim he’d ripped to pieces. Normally after a kill, he’d feel bad about the way he ripped apart his victims until they were nothing but pieces to a jigsaw. Sometimes he’d try and put those pieces back together. But not tonight. Not with Klaus watching over his shoulder. The Original vampire still hadn’t explained what he wanted, and Stefan knew better than to show an ounce of weakness in front of someone so powerful.

Walking into his apartment, Stefan finally allowed himself to relax. He knew that Klaus couldn’t get to him in here. He’d put the lease in some human’s name and then compelled her to invite him in so that he wouldn’t get surprised by any vampires.

A friend, and fellow vampire, once asked him how he came up with the idea. Try as he might, he could never remember how it occurred to him. Was it just a random thought? Something he’d come up with years ago? Or had he seen it somewhere and copied the idea? He wasn’t sure, but somehow, it seemed significant. A lot of things seemed significant to him, but he could never quite put his finger on why. The more he thought about it, the quicker it slipped away until he’d stopped trying.

Stefan stepped under the warm spray of his shower. He looked down, watching as the blood washed off his body and circled down the drain. He gave a small sigh, and leaned his forehead against the cool tile. What was he going to do about Klaus? What did the vampire want from him?

It just made no sense. Klaus was one of the first vampires; an Original. And not just that, he ruled. The other members of his family looked to him; feared him, as did all the other vampires in the world. Rumor was, he was a hybrid: half vampire, half werewolf. There was some commotion about it almost two centuries ago, but Stefan hadn’t heard about it until later. He had been busy… doing something.

Stefan’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall what he had been doing in the early 21st century before shrugging. Whatever he was doing, it must not have been very important if he couldn’t remember.

Stepping out of the shower, Stefan wrapped a towel around himself and headed back to his bedroom. He moved around his bed to look at his bookshelf. His finger grazed the spines as he searched through the journals for the one he was looking for. His brow furrowed once more when he couldn’t find it.

He knew it had to be there somewhere. He always kept a journal, no matter where he was or what he was doing. Even at his most blood crazed, he still recorded his thoughts. Once more, Stefan glanced through his large stacks of journals, but couldn’t find the one for the time period he was looking for. With a confused look at his bookshelf, he reached for his phone and dialed a number on his quick dial.

“Yeah,” a familiar voice drawled.

“Damon, did you take one of my journals?” Stefan asked immediately, eyes still scanning the bookshelf as though he missed it and hoped that it would pop out at him.

“What the hell would I do with one of your journals?” Damon asked. Stefan could tell, even over the phone, that Damon was rolling his eyes at him.

Stefan grit his teeth in annoyance. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe you did it to mess with me.”

“Hmm,” Damon replied in contemplation. “That does sound like something I’d do,” he admitted. “Tough luck, brother. I didn’t take anything.”

Stefan frowned. Damon had a habit of lying to him and he did it rather frequently, but for some reason, Stefan didn’t think Damon was doing it now. For one, what would be the point in stealing the journal? There was even less of a point in him lying about it. “Alright, thanks,” Stefan muttered hanging up.

His brow furrowed in thought. Was it possible that he had lost it in transit? As a vampire he moved around a lot and while it had never happened before, that didn’t mean that it couldn’t have happened now. Stefan liked to think that he kept a closer eye on his journals than that, what with them containing his deepest and darkest thoughts and vampire secrets, but since he hadn’t even noticed the book missing, he quite obviously wasn’t paying _that much_ attention after all.

With an annoyed sigh, Stefan continued on. Glaring at his bookshelf was hardly going to help his situation.

Still, even as he puttered around his kitchen, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was as though there was something nagging at the back of his brain; something he couldn’t quite put his finger on; something he was forgetting.

Come to think of it, he’d been feeling like that for a while now. Ever since he met Klaus.

Stefan sipped at his cup of coffee as he thought on it. Was it possible that he had met the hybrid before? That didn’t seem like the kind of thing Stefan would forget, but he supposed it was possible. If the hybrid never introduced himself, if their meeting was brief…

_“It’s been a while since I’ve met a Ripper. Not since Chicago.”_

Stefan nearly choked on his coffee as the words came to him. At the time, he’d been too lost in his confusion, still high of the thrill of the blood, that he hadn’t realized the other man’s words. Now though…

Was that how he knew Klaus? Had they met during that hazy time in Stefan’s life? It had been not long after he’d changed. In the 1920s, he’d reverted back to his old ways. Somehow, he had made his way to Chicago for a bite and simply ended up staying longer than he’d planned.

Stefan smirked to himself in satisfaction. That must be the reason why Klaus was interested in him now and why the man had seemed so familiar. Stefan had solved his nagging mystery.

Yes, that had to have been it.

That was how Stefan knew Klaus.


	2. Chapter 2

“I know you,” Stefan said with a smirk, walking up to Klaus. He leaned his hip against the bar, looking down at Klaus who was seated, sipping on a whiskey.

“Do you?” Klaus asked mildly.

“You know, it was killing me.” Stefan leaned in like he was confessing something. “Nagging at me the entire time. I’d thought that spending more time with you would jog my memory, but two days later and I still couldn’t figure it out. Then I hoped to go through my journals, but with no clear starting place…” Stefan shrugged. “So I settled for a good cup of coffee and wouldn’t you know? The minute I calmed down and processed everything was the minute it hit me. I remembered exactly how I knew you.”

Klaus had remained quiet during Stefan’s spiel, curious as to what Stefan had realized, but confident in his own compulsion. Nevertheless, as Stefan continued on, Klaus grew tenser at the confidence and surety Stefan gave off. Was it possible that he did indeed remember? If so, Klaus doubted that Stefan would be here confronting him about it. Any sensible person who knew their history would be on the next flight to the other side of the world by now.

Then again, when had a Salvatore ever done the sensible thing?

“Well, I say remembered, but it was more of a realization. That period of my life was kind of hazy,” Stefan continued, unaware of his companion’s thoughts. “But still, I know that’s what it’s from.” He paused, waiting until Klaus was finally meeting his eyes before continuing. “Chicago,” he stated. Stefan smirked when he saw a flicker of recognition cross the hybrid’s blue eyes. “I knew it,” he said more to himself.

Chicago.

It was a word that held many emotions for Klaus.

It was the city where he met Stefan.

It was the city where he was nearly caught by Mikael.

It was the city where he daggered Rebekah.

And it was the city where he left Stefan behind.

Yes, there were many emotions attached to that city. And they all appeared in Klaus’ eyes for a moment at the mention of the word. It was too bad Stefan couldn’t quite separate recognition of the city that started it all with recognition that he was right.

Still, it was to Klaus’ benefit that Stefan didn’t really remember everything and was still under the compulsion nicely. Never one to let an opportunity go to waste…

“You’ve got it, mate,” Klaus smirked. “We met in Chicago. God I loved the twenties,” he shot back the last of his whiskey. “The music, the women, the booze.”

Stefan smiled as he sat down, content that the mystery was solved. “Yeah, they were great times.”

“We should do it again sometime,” Klaus replied slyly as he motioned to the bartender for another drink.

The brunet looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Klaus chuckled. “Oh, we had great fun together, Stefan. You, me and my sister. Although you should be grateful Rebekah isn’t here. She hasn’t forgiven you yet.” And that was true. Rebekah still hadn’t forgiven Stefan for picking the doppelganger over her, but that happened after Chicago. “It was a surprise to run into you here. But a good one. It’ll be like the good old days.” Klaus smirked. “You taught me some of my favorite tricks.”

Stefan was half flattered, half curious. “I don’t remember much,” he cautioned. “What tricks did I teach you?” he asked.

The blond chuckled. “Why don’t I show you?” he replied with a decidedly evil grin. He turned in his seat just as a woman danced by. With lightning fast reflexes, he reached out and grabbed the woman by the waist, dragging her to him before she even realized what was going on. She opened her mouth to protest, but was instantly captured by Klaus’ bright blue eyes and his underlying compulsion. “Let’s dance,” he purred to Stefan, not taking his eyes off of the redhead in his arms.

Klaus led her out to the dance floor, confident that Stefan would be right behind him in a moment. As if someone knew exactly what he wanted, a swing beat began to play throughout the club. Klaus twirled the woman in his hand fancifully, noticing Stefan pick a brunette near by.

The two vampires lost themselves to the beat of the music for several songs before they felt their human partners begin to wear out. Klaus led the group to a dark booth in the back and ordered more drinks.

Now, in the privacy of the back corner, he began to show Stefan exactly what tricks he’d picked up from the Ripper in Chicago.

“You have lovely skin,” Klaus purred as he gently traced his fingertips up and down the pale flesh of the girl’s arm. “May I have a taste?” he asked unnecessarily. He didn’t bother waiting for a response; he knew he wouldn’t get one. Instead he sank his fangs into her wrist and began to drink. After a few gulps, his immediate thirst was satisfied. He pulled away, but kept his grip on the woman’s arm and held it over a glass, watching as it began to fill. It was only after a finger or two that Klaus pulled the arm away, leaving the girl to deal with the wound herself. Instead, Klaus smirked and held up the glass to his friend. “Drink?” he asked.

Stefan gave a small smirk before reaching out to take the glass. He gave Klaus a challenging look and drained the blood in one go.

Klaus just grinned wider. “That’s the spirit, mate. Oh, this is going to be fun,” he said in reminiscence.

~~~

“I’m bored,” one of the many compelled girls surrounding the vampire duo complained. “Let’s go somewhere!” she suggested.

Klaus hummed in thought as he mentally debated on whether or not he actually wanted to find someplace else or simply kill the girl for being so annoying. Unfortunately, Stefan took the decision out of his hands. “I agree.” The brunet’s eyes darkened as he thought about leaving the smoky bar and getting some fresh air. “I need some space.”

Klaus blinked before a sly smile spread across his lips. Stefan had used to say that all the time in Chicago. Space was Stefan’s metaphor for a fresh hunt. He wanted more than a couple of drunk girls compelled to service his needs; he wanted a chase and a kill that went down screaming.

“Space it is,” Klaus agreed darkly, his own eyes turning a dark blue in anticipation. The two left the bar, several girls following them. Realizing they had an entourage, Stefan scowled. Klaus gave an amused smirk but obligingly turned around. “You may go,” he dismissed easily, ignoring their whines and groans of complaint.

The minute Stefan was outside he took a deep breath of air. Klaus smirked in revelry. Despite the fact that they had just hunted together a few days before, this was different. Stefan hadn’t trusted Klaus then and had hid behind a cold façade. Now that Stefan knew more about their history together, he was acting more like his normal Ripper self.

“Catch anything?” Klaus asked. Stefan looked over his shoulder with a dark smirk before quickly blurring down the street at a fast pace. “I’ll take that as a yes then,” Klaus murmured before quickly following.

Several blocks over, Klaus could easily smell what caught Stefan’s attention without having to resort to his supernatural senses. Three girls were stumbling down the street in astronomical heels and tiny dresses. They reeked of sweat and booze and adrenaline; it was easy to see that they had spent the night clubbing. As if right on cue, one girl teetered on her high heel before stumbling to the ground.

In a flash Stefan was there, a hand out in gentlemanly gesture. Klaus loved this part. The part where Stefan acted like the high bred man he was born before acting like the monster he became.

“Let me help you up there,” Stefan offered, a charming grin on his face.

The blonde girl blinked dazedly as though wondering if this was real; hot guys don’t usually help a girl onto her feet after a nasty fall. Her friends twittering behind her gave the indication she needed. This was real.

She gave a shy smile and reached out her hand to place it in his. He gently helped her up, his eyes only briefly straying down her body as it quickly trained on what was important. “You’re bleeding,” he stated. He already knew that; had caught scent of it the moment she fell.

The blonde looked down in surprise, her eyes widening when she spotted her scraped up knees. “Oh, ow!” she exclaimed, suddenly noticing the pain. She winced and went to gently touch her leg when suddenly her hand was snatched. With surprised eyes, she turned to look up at Stefan only for the surprise to turn into horror.

“Don’t touch it,” Stefan grinned roguishly. The charm was lost, however, when faced with his veined eyes and his fanged teeth. “I wouldn’t want any blood to go to waste.”

The blonde gave a scream, startling her friends who were unable to see anything but Stefan’s back. The two other girls stepped forward to help, but were quickly thwarted as Klaus sped in front of him from where he had been relishing the show. “You should be more worried about yourselves, luv,” he said with a light laugh as his own face transformed.

Soon the alley was filled with screams, but they died down quickly. Stefan had already torn into his girl, listening as she tried to choke out a call for help. She pushed weakly at him, trying to get away, but it didn’t even faze him as he continued to drink. He was soon lost in his blood lust and heard nothing over the sound of the girl’s beating drum of a heartbeat.

Klaus, too, sank his fangs into the supple flesh of the brunette girl. He vaguely noticed the third girl, another brunette, gag in fear and disgust as she quickly turned tail and ran, leaving her friends behind. It was a smart move, but unfortunately for her, it would do no good. Klaus and Stefan would have plenty of time to finish their meal and still be able to track her down.

Soon, Klaus heard a familiar squelching and tearing sound along with the crack of bone. He withdrew from his victim, barely blinking when she collapsed at his feet dead. He was much more interested in the blonde girl.

True to form, Stefan had fed so hard and so deeply that he had torn his victim into pieces. A lesser man would be disgusted by the sight of the girl’s decapitated head as it rolled away, eyes open and glazed in death.

It just made Klaus appreciate Stefan even more. The man made killing into an art form.

And as an artist, Klaus could appreciate that.


	3. Chapter 3

“Shit,” Stefan swore as he jerked awake, his head pounding. The beat going on in his head was strong enough that he could have sworn his whole body throbbed in time. He took a minute to mentally process the situation. He had a headache. He was a vampire. Vampires didn’t get headaches. “What the hell?” he asked in confusion.

A rough voice chuckled behind him, causing Stefan to twist around in surprise.

An amused, but irritated Klaus greeted him. A naked amused, but irritated Klaus.

“Wha-” Stefan cut himself off as he looked down and realized that he too was naked. He closed his eyes as he began to recall what had happened the night before. They had fed on two party girls. There was a third one who had escaped. He and Klaus ran after her as they enjoyed the thrill of the chase. It didn’t take them long to track her down…

_Stefan snarled as he pushed through and gave himself an extra burst of speed. He lunged for her and immediately felt supple flesh beneath his fangs. The girl cried out, but Klaus was quickly in front of her, his fangs soon in her neck as well._

_Trapped between the two monsters, she tried to struggle, but her quickly waning strength was no match. Soon, she fell limp and in seconds she was dead._

_Stefan pulled up first. Unlike earlier, he had not torn the girl to shreds. He tore his victims apart because of the bloodlust, but with two vampires feeding from the same victim, there wasn’t enough blood to get him properly hungry._

_It was only once he looked up that he realized that something was wrong._

_“Klaus?” he asked in confusion, reaching a hand out._

_Klaus dropped the dead body and looked up at his friend. “Hmm?” he asked. Suddenly, he too realized something was amiss._

_The world around them was spinning._

_Stefan’s hand groped in front of him as though trying to reach for Klaus, but unable to. His vision blurred as he began to see three, even four Klaus’s. “Whaa…” he trailed off in confusion._

_“My,” Klaus smirked drunkenly. “This hasn’t happened to me in ages.”_

_“What’s going on?” Stefan asked as he stumbled forwards only to trip on the girl at their feet. He toppled over and braced himself for jarring impact, but was surprised to find himself landing in Klaus’ arms instead. Oh. So that’s where the original Klaus was. Good to know, since the three other Klaus’ in his vision were everywhere._

_“It looks like those girls did more than drink at that party,” Klaus answered. Noticing Stefan’s blank look, Klaus rolled his eyes. “God, Ripper, where were you during the sixties?” he asked, mostly to himself. “They were high.”_

_Stefan blinked. “Oh,” he said simply. He had spent the sixties in a haze of music and drugs, but those were drugs he’d consumed himself. He spent that decade with Lexi and only drank animal blood, so he didn’t have experience with this. “How long will it take to wear off?” he asked instead._

_Klaus shrugged casually. “Depends on how much and what they took.” Klaus blinked for a moment as realization set in. Then he began to smirk rather evilly. He raised a hand and gently laid it on Stefan’s shoulder in an intimate touch._

_Stefan blinked in confusion once more before suddenly realizing that he was still in the Original vampire’s arms. Before he could say anything, he felt warm lips on his. At first he didn’t respond, but then he tasted the lingering flavor of blood and soon found himself thoroughly exploring Klaus’ mouth with his tongue._

_They separated too soon with a groan and Stefan looked at him with hazy eyes._

_“God, I love Atlanta,” Klaus slurred slightly, the drugs loosening his tongue. “How have I never been here before?” he wondered._

_Stefan chuckled lightly, allowing the haze to flow through him, no longer fighting the blood’s effects. “Personally, I think it’s the company, not the city,” he replied before reaching a hand up to the blonde’s nape and drawing him back into a fiery kiss._

_It had been a while since Stefan had last been with a man. He was generally only interested in girls, but after having lived so long, it was natural to get a bit experimental. As vampires got older things like gender, race and age ceased to matter. Stefan preferred women, but he had no problem dallying with the occasional male that caught his attention. And Klaus was good at gaining attention._

“Did we do this in Chicago? Were we in a relationship together?” Stefan asked, once he’d recalled what had transpired.

“No,” Klaus replied. “You were rather interested in my sister at the time, if you recall.”

To be honest, no, Stefan didn’t recall, so he would just have to take the other man’s word for it. Before he could ask any more questions, Klaus’ lips were on his again. Stefan’s eyes fell to half mast. He hadn’t really intended on starting any sort of relationship, especially with someone as dangerous as Klaus.

On the other hand, would rejecting Klaus make him angry?

And it wasn’t as though he was bad to look at. Klaus was tall with blue eyes, curly strawberry blonde hair, full lips and unfairly attractive dimples. All in all, it made for a rather gorgeous package.

And it didn’t hurt that the man’s kisses were like sin.

~~~

“You should probably be warned that I have no idea what I’m doing,” Stefan muttered tiredly into his lover’s shoulder blade.

The two had fallen into an uncomfortable, sticky heap on Stefan’s bed not too long ago. Klaus had rolled onto his stomach, desperately trying to cool off his sweaty back. Stefan then rolled on his side, but laid his head on the blonde’s shoulder blade as a pillow.

“I disagree, Ripper. You knew exactly what you were doing,” Klaus replied, his tone a near purr. If Stefan hadn’t known the man was a wolf, he would have guessed some sort of feline based off of his voice alone.

“I didn’t mean sexually,” Stefan returned with a light huff. “I mean… Never mind.” He sighed, unsure of how to finish. Was this a relationship? A romance? Friends with benefits? A one time thing? It didn’t matter which option because Stefan had no idea how to handle any of them. How did one date Klaus?

Klaus chuckled underneath him. “Don’t worry, Ripper. I’m not looking for anything more than what you are interested in giving.” And it was true. Normally, Klaus demanded what he wanted and killed anyone who didn’t obey. But Stefan was different. He’d always been different. Klaus had allowed Stefan more freedom than he’d even allowed his own siblings. Stefan had disobeyed him, betrayed him and more, and yet during all these years, Klaus never once retaliated. At least not really.

In fact, Klaus had continually gone out of his way to help the man.

During the 1920s, Klaus and his sister Rebekah had been hunted by their father Mikael. They knew how ruthless the hunter could be and despite the fact that Rebekah had wanted to bring Stefan on the run with them, Klaus knew that they couldn’t. Stefan was too conspicuous. But also, he was too young. Barely over 50, Stefan was impulsive and arrogant and didn’t have the strength nor skill to go against Mikael and survive.

So Klaus had compelled him to forget.

But Klaus always wondered what would happen if he hadn’t. If he had allowed Stefan to run with them… Would they have been friends all those years? Would they have become more? Like they were now; would they have become lovers?

And then, like fate, they met again.

But this time, Stefan no longer considered him a brother. Instead, Klaus was an enemy. All because he wanted the precious doppelganger dead. Of course Klaus won and Elena had died, but little did he know they had a back up plan. Not that it didn’t come in handy. If Elena had died only for Klaus to realize he needed her to make his hybrids… Well, let it never be said that vindictiveness was not a family trait. His mother could be a cruel bitch when she wanted to be.

Stefan had agreed to go on the road with Klaus, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t the arrogant Ripper Klaus had spent all those years thinking about. Even after he’d compelled Stefan to remember, it was never the same. So Klaus let him go.

He still kept an eye out, and though he was sure Stefan disagreed, Klaus had helped the man whenever he needed it.

And unfortunately that had ended up with them back where they started.

Elena was the love of Stefan’s life. It was thus rather unfortunate that she had fallen in love with both brothers. Though Stefan had her first, it was soon clear that Damon would have her last.

Klaus had seen the damage the doppelganger’s choice had done to his Ripper. In the end, Klaus did what he had to.

 

He compelled Stefan to forget. Unfortunately, in forgetting Elena, that also meant removing the memories of Klaus and the Original family and of Mystic Falls in general.

Still, even after helping Stefan, Klaus continued to feel unsatisfied. Why did Stefan have to suffer – though he no longer remembered that.

So, in vengeance, Klaus turned on Damon. Stefan was the man’s brother and he had destroyed him. And for what? Another doppelganger? Didn’t Damon remember how that story ended last time?

But still, it wasn’t entirely Damon’s fault. No, it was Elena’s; she who fell for two men and tore a brotherhood apart. Klaus compelled Damon to forget, just as he had Stefan. Letting the man walk around in ignorance would serve to fulfill Klaus’ dark humor better than any torture could.

And of course, it also had the added benefit of serving to punish Elena.

Elena, who had two men love her, now had none. She had to watch as they both forgot about her and left her behind. Klaus got his vengeance and he also got the added bonus of having doppelganger alone and unprotected.

He did so love when a plan came together.

And of course, Elena had hated him for it. In fact, she had hated him until her dying breath over sixty years later.

Not that it mattered. He got his doppelganger blood and a continuation of the Petrova family line. What did he care if she hated him? It only served to make him that much more satisfied.

She deserved everything she got.

And now, things were finally falling back into place the way he had hoped they would all those years ago. He had Stefan, and willingly this time. They were hunting together, slaughtering really. And they were enjoying themselves utterly. And now, they were lovers.

The past didn’t matter anymore. Not when the future was looking so much brighter for the Hybrid.


	4. Chapter 4

Stefan relished the hunt. It was different now. Now, he had Klaus. To be honest, he’d never hunted with another vampire before. Not humans anyway. Lexi would have abhorred it, and Damon, well, Damon preferred to seduce his victims, not hunt them down.

“You look good in red, Ripper,” Klaus purred from behind him. He then swung an arm around Stefan’s shoulders, and leaned in to lick a drop of blood that had fallen onto his neck. “Delicious too.”

Stefan gave a light chuckle before turning his head to capture Klaus’ lips in a kiss. Stefan groaned as Klaus nibbled on his lower lip, sucking the last few droplets of blood from his lip. The brunet turned completely and wrapped his arms around Klaus’ shoulders, drawing him in closer. He felt Klaus settle his hands on Stefan’s hips, pulling possessively. It was as close as they could get with clothing on. Stefan was the first to withdraw, the smell of blood drawing him away from the kiss. He then turned back to the man cowering before them.

“Please,” the man begged, cradling his already broken wrist. “Please. I have kids! Please!” By now, he was sobbing, knowing that his life was on the line.

Klaus hummed. “Then I suppose you should have thought of that before you interfered.”

The man looked at him incredulously. “She’s my wife.”

“Correction!” Stefan smirked, reaching down to drag the man to his feet. “She was your wife.” He looked tellingly over his shoulder. The man automatically followed his gaze before grimacing at the sight of his wife. Or more accurately, the sight of her pieces.

“I’m sorry,” he begged. “I never should have followed you outside. Please!”

“You probably thought she was cheating on you. That’s why you followed her to the bar. Bet it didn’t look good when you saw her with me. That’s why you followed us out to the alley,” Stefan mused, utterly ignoring the man’s pleas. “But still, I bet you didn’t expect to walk into that.” He laughed at the man’s foolishness.

The man on the ground cringed at the memory. He had walked outside with the intention of confronting his wife about her adultery and instead walked into a scene from a horror movie. He had found Beth – his poor, sweet Beth – trapped between these two men. No, not men. Monsters.

She had been screaming and sobbing, begging for help while the men had buried their faces in her throat. At first, he had no idea what was going on. He had called out, tried to stop them. The blond one, Klaus, had turned around, snarling with bloody fangs.

Tom had stumbled to a stop, completely shocked and scared out of his mind. Stefan, on the other hand kept feeding and it wasn’t long before Tom was forced to watch as his wife’s head and arms separated from her body.

Tom had run away, but didn’t make it very far as he was soon throwing up in horror at what he had witnessed. It was easy for Klaus and Stefan to spot him.

“What do you think, Klaus?” Stefan asked, turning to his lover. “He did say please.” The smirk Stefan had while saying that was positively dastardly.

“Well, since he asked so nicely…” Klaus played along with a grin before vamping out and turning to the man. The instant Tom knew for sure that he was going to die, he felt light headed and soon fell into a faint.

“…Well that was disappointing,” Stefan commented, looking down at the pathetic excuse for a man. Even his wife had lived long enough to fight back every step of the way. “No wonder Beth wanted someone new.”

“Agreed, mate.” Klaus gave a scoff before reaching down and snapping the man’s neck. “Not even worth a proper kill.” The blond then turned to his companion with a smirk. “Now, then. What’s say you and me head back to your place for the night?” Klaus reached out and tugged on Stefan’s waist, his strength forcing the younger vampire to take a step closer.

“Sounds like a plan,” Stefan replied with a chuckle before getting distracted by his phone ringing. He quickly checked before rolling his eyes. “It’s my brother, hold on.” Stefan picked up the phone and took a few steps away from the Hybrid. It was more habit than anything since the only way he’d be able to get privacy from the vampire’s hearing was if he went a few blocks away, not steps. “What is it Damon?” he asked impatiently

“I’ve been thinking about your journal,” Damon replied idly.

Stefan gave a small sigh. It was his own fault. He should know better than to seem in a hurry around Damon – it only ever caused the other vampire to slow down even more. “Yes?”

“It was of the 21st century, right?” the brunet asked, continuing to slow the conversation down even further. He knew Damon already knew the answer to that question, but still insisted on asking.

“Yes,” Stefan ground out, annoyance starting to creep in.

Damon hummed in thought for a moment. Stefan closed his eyes as he willed himself more patience. Finally, just as Stefan was about to snap, Damon spoke. “I don’t recall very much from that time.”

At first Stefan blinked in surprise. Damon usually waited until after Stefan exploded in annoyance to give in. This meant that something was wrong. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Damon returned, annoyed at having to repeat himself, “that I don’t recall very much from that time. Like, nothing.”

Stefan paused to ponder on this for a moment. “Me neither,” he confirmed. “But that may be normal. If it was a particularly boring decade, then it might not stick out in our minds.”

“Yeah, maybe for you.” Damon snorted. “My life is always awesome; I don’t have ‘boring decades’.” Stefan rolled his eyes, but Damon continued on. “I’m telling you, something’s not right here, brother.”

Stefan sighed. “Maybe. But I don’t know what and it doesn’t sound like you do either. So for now, I’m going to forget about it and hang up.”

Damon gave a light scoff but said goodbye. Stefan gave a small suffering sigh before turning back to Klaus.

“Sorry about that…” Stefan trailed off as he took Klaus in. There was something off there. Klaus’ lips were lightly pursed and he appeared to be thinking rather heavily – well, more like brooding. “What’s wrong?” Stefan asked tentatively, not wanting to interrupt the man’s thoughts.

“Hmm?” Klaus asked, snapping out of his musings. He had been worrying over the Salvatores putting together the pieces. He didn’t want Stefan to try and remember Mystic Falls, and he definitely didn’t want him figuring out that the reason he didn’t remember at all was because of Klaus. “Oh, nothing.” He smiled and wrapped a familiar arm around the Ripper’s shoulders. “Now, then. Let’s get going, shall we?”

~~~

Stefan let out a small gasp as Klaus shoved him straight through the front door, taking it off its hinges. Before he could even blink, Klaus was on him, nipping at his throat, blunt nails dragging over his abs. Stefan tossed his head back and groaned, uncaring of the spectacle they were putting on for anyone who walked by the apartment.

“Fuck,” he gasped as he reached out and dragged Klaus’ shirt off, uncaring that he was ripping it in the process. “Now,” he growled, burying his face into the blonde’s neck as he nipped hard with his human teeth.

Klaus shuddered violently at the vibrations of the growl mixed with the sting of pain from the bite. He bared his teeth in a way that would have been terrifying if he hadn’t still been in his human guise.

He gripped the back of Stefan’s head hard, curling his fingers into dark hair before forcefully pulling the man back. Stefan blinked up at him in momentary surprise, but Klaus just smirked and forced Stefan’s head to the side. He then leaned down and began to suck on the exposed neck.

Stefan let out a hitched gasp that soon turned into heavy panting. But his patience soon wore out. Stefan broke away from Klaus and glared at the Hybrid for teasing when he knew what Stefan really wanted.

Klaus chuckled in amusement causing Stefan to glare even harder. With jerky, angry movements, Stefan began to strip out of his clothes. He tossed his shirt to the ground and fumbled with his jean clasp as he was too annoyed to properly focus.

He wanted to fuck and he wanted to do it right now.

Why did Klaus have to constantly make things into a game?

Stefan paused at this last thought. Why did Klaus have to constantly make things into a game? _Why did Klaus have to constantly make things into a game?_ The words seemed familiar… and yet Stefan didn’t know Klaus nearly well enough to say these words for certain… yet somehow… somehow, they seemed true. As though Stefan had said or thought them before. _Why did Klaus have to constantly make things into a game?_

“Are you just going to stand there?” Klaus teased lightly as he reached out to hook a finger into one of Stefan’s belt loops, startling the man out of his thoughts.

Stefan looked up at the Hybrid blankly before recalling what they were currently in the middle of. There was no reason to be holed up in his own thoughts. He had known Klaus in the 1920s, that’s probably when the Hybrid had said those words.

Yet, even as he decided that must be it, there was still a mysterious feeling in his gut telling him that he was wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

Klaus led the blonde outside into the alley where they could be alone. He grinned as he noticed Stefan waiting over the woman’s shoulder. Klaus leaned in to murmur something romantic into her ear, but it was just a guise as he swept her hair off her shoulder to expose her neck.

He heard Stefan quickly and silently make his way over. Just as Klaus was about to sink his fangs in, he heard a familiar whistle in the air. Without even thinking about it, he ducked.

The blonde gave a startled scream as she saw the arrow inches away from her face. She gave an even more frightened scream before running away in terror at the attack.

“What the hell?” Stefan gaped, his brow furrowed in worried confusion.

“Bullocks!” Klaus swore as he turned to face the person who had sent the arrow. In the distance there was a tall black man. He held a long bow in his arms and it was easy to tell that he was a hunter. If the various weapons didn’t give it away, then the massive muscles did. “Run,” he muttered to Stefan.

“What?” Stefan asked in shock. Klaus was an Original. What could possibly scare him off? And what’s more, Klaus was not the type of man to run. Ever.

“Just run!” Klaus yelled as he reached out to grab Stefan’s arm and dragged him away.

“This is not my idea of fun,” Stefan scowled after a few minutes, as he ran through the empty streets. Klaus had lured Stefan out that night on the promise of a fun game for the Ripper, and this didn’t seem like a game at all.

“Sorry, mate,” Klaus replied, although his tone did not sound particularly apologetic. “Hazards of being me.” He ducked, quickly avoiding a vervain grenade that had been thrown.

“Why don’t you just kill him?” Stefan asked in annoyance as a splash from the grenade’s explosion hit him.

The Original scowled. “I owe the family a debt,” he stated vaguely, but with annoyance. “Damn Bennetts,” he muttered under his breath.

Stefan barely caught the whisper, but he did definitely catch it and he was completely shocked. A Bennett? Immediately, his thoughts turned to Emily Bennett, Katherine’s friend and maid and, of course, a witch. “The hunter’s a Bennett witch?” Stefan asked incredulously.

For a second there, Stefan worried that he had said the wrong thing because Klaus stopped immediately, turning to stare at him. Stefan hesitantly stopped as well, but turned slightly to warily eye the man who was rapidly catching up to them. “You know the Bennett family?” Klaus asked, utterly ignoring the incoming danger.

Stefan looked at him oddly. Was now really the time to be asking this? Apparently it was, because Klaus didn’t move and instead simply stared, waiting for his answer. “Emily Bennett was a friend of Katherine, the woman who turned me. My brother swore to protect her line.”

For whatever reason, Stefan’s answer caused Klaus to relax. “Ah, yes. Emily Bennett. I’d forgotten about her,” he murmured lowly to himself before returning his focus to the oncoming hunter. “I suppose we’d best get a move on then.”

Stefan trailed behind slightly as his legs followed Klaus without thought. His mind was preoccupied with other things instead. This was not the first time Klaus had acted peculiarly when Stefan brought something up. He was beginning to think that Klaus was actively hiding something from him, but what could it be? And did it have something to do with the suspicious feeling he felt deep in his gut like he was missing something or forgetting something?

“Hurry up, Ripper,” Klaus called out. He stood waiting in front of a tall building; one of Atlanta’s finest hotels. He gave an impatient wave of his hand before walking inside, clearly expecting Stefan to follow.

The brunet gave a small scowl but obligingly followed him inside. “Where are we going?” Stefan questioned, looking over his shoulder to make sure that they had lost their tail.

“My hotel room,” Klaus replied simply causing Stefan to blink. They’d been together for several weeks now and yet Stefan had no idea where the other man had been staying all that time. To be honest, he felt like a fool for never inquiring.

“But what about the hunter?” Stefan inquired instead.

Klaus remained silent, instead putting his thumb on the print scanner before opening his hotel room door. He gestured for Stefan to go first before following into the spacious suite. Klaus hastily made for his bedroom and pulled out a duffel bag which he then began filling with his belongings.

“You’re leaving?” Stefan asked in surprise. Once again he was surprised at the sight of the Original vampire running away.

“I have to,” Klaus replied with an annoyed scowl. “I swore never to harm anyone of their bloodline. Of course I swore that _before_ they swore to hunt me down and kill me. That damn witch; Bonnie Bennett was always a tricky one.” Klaus paused in thought. “You know, I don’t think she ever quite forgave me for forcing her to do that spell,” he mused aloud.

Once again, something inside Stefan tugged uncomfortably. Who was Bonnie Bennett and why did she sound so familiar? Just as he opened his mouth to ask just that, Klaus turned to him seriously.

“Stefan.” Klaus hesitated for the briefest moment before continuing on. “I would like for you to come with me.”

Stefan blinked in surprise. “Go with you where?” he asked dumbly, too shocked to realize what stupidity just came out of his mouth. Once his brain caught up to his words, he gave a wince in embarrassment at what he’d said.

Klaus seemed amused by his response however. “Anywhere. I need to run and I want you to come with me.”

If Stefan remembered all of their history, he would understand why this was such a monumental question. In the ‘20s, it had been Rebekah who wanted Stefan to run with them and Klaus had been the one to firmly put his foot down, going so far as to completely compel Stefan’s memories away. And then, against the possibilities, they had met once more. After the curse was lifted, Klaus brought Stefan along on his hybrid journey, although that had been through brute force and coercion. And, of course, the minute he had been able to, Stefan had run away from him, earning himself Klaus’ anger. It was a fucking miracle that they had run into each other here in Atlanta for a third time.

If Stefan had remembered all of this history, he would have realized the weight behind these words. But he didn’t.

When Stefan didn’t answer right away, Klaus unwilling put forth an offer he had been saving with the hope that he would never have to use it. “I could teach you control.” Klaus hated that he even had to utter those words, but they were a powerful bargaining chip and Stefan would be no good to him on the run without that necessary control. That was the reason why he had compelled the Ripper in Chicago to begin with. Stefan literally tore his victims to shreds. It was an easy M.O. to follow which meant that they would make for easy targets to follow. If Klaus was going to bring Stefan along, he would first need to teach Stefan to curb his killer impulses, a fact which he hated because it was those killer impulses that made Klaus so interested in him to begin with. Of course, if he didn’t teach the Ripper control then Klaus wouldn’t be able to bring him along. It was a double edged sword and either way he was going to get cut.

Stefan, on the other hand, blinked in surprise. For centuries, he had been struggling with his control. He was only ever on animal blood or ripping his way through bodies like they were toys. Though he’d never admit it, even his Ripper side longed to be able to control his bloodlust. Sure, he covered it up by adding tricks and flair; pretending that everything he did was intentional; that he _meant_ to be that cruel. But it was a lie. A lie Klaus apparently knew about.

But unfortunately, that would not be enough.

“I know we’ve been seeing each other, but it’s only been three weeks,” Stefan replied hesitantly with a small hint of incredulousness in his voice. “I can’t go running off with you. Especially if you have a hunter on your tail. That’s just a whole lot of problems that I don’t need. I mean, if I wanted drama, I’d be in Brazil with Damon.” Stefan chuckled slightly, hoping to put some ease into the rejection, but it didn’t do any good. Klaus’ expression didn’t change, but still… there was something there, beneath the surface. As a vampire, there wasn’t much that scared Stefan, but the look in Klaus’ eyes at that very moment… well, that did it.

Stefan shifted uncomfortably as he began to wonder whether or not he was about to die. He wasn’t an idiot; he knew that Klaus had a short temper and a bloody vengeance streak a mile long.

So he was understandably surprised when Klaus appeared to reign himself in. The Original gave a sharp, jerky nod of acknowledgement. “Alright,” he said, turning to pack the last of his things.

What Stefan didn’t realize is that Klaus was currently debating on what to do. He hadn’t really thought about it because he had never expected this situation to come up. Did he compel Stefan to forget once more? Jackson Bennett had seen the two of them together and if Klaus left then the first person the hunter would turn to would be Stefan. Stefan was strong, but would he be able to go up against a Bennett witch and win?

On the other hand, Klaus could always _make_ Stefan go with him. But to be honest, he had already learned that lesson in the 21 st century. Stefan needed to come to him willingly.

Klaus gave a small sigh before zipping up his bag. He found that he was actually rather sad to see it come to this. He turned around with the intention to compel away Stefan’s memories when the look on the brunet’s eyes caught his attention.

Stefan looked stiff as a board and wary of Klaus’ every move. He clearly thought that Klaus planned to kill him. And why wouldn’t he? Klaus had a rather fearsome reputation that he only liked to nurture. How was Stefan to know any differently?

And just like that, Klaus changed his mind. With a small smile he reached out a hand and gently cupped Stefan’s nape, drawing him in for one last kiss before blurring out the door and down the hall before Stefan could realize what was going on.

This was the third time he and Stefan had met and Klaus was sure that life would bring them together once more. It would be nice if the next time Stefan actually remembered who he was.

Klaus would just have to trust that Stefan would be able to keep himself alive until then.

The farther away Klaus got from Stefan and the hotel room, the better he began to feel about his decision. It wasn’t in his nature to trust, but some way, some how, Stefan had always managed to be the exception to his rule.

And now that he was thinking about Stefan and Mystic Falls and the past in general, another person came to mind; someone else who became an exception to his rules.

“Well then,” Klaus muttered thoughtfully to himself as he left Atlanta city limits. “Perhaps it’s time to check on Caroline.”


End file.
